Album Review: Runenwacht – Das letzte Geleit
Band: Runenwacht
Album: Das letzte Geleit
Label: Northern Fog Records
Release date: August 01st, 2025
Country: Germany
Format reviewed: High quality digital recording
Album Review: Runenwacht – Das letzte Geleit via Northern Fog Records by Ioana
Runenwacht is without a doubt a project that has solidified its reputation as one of the great names of the German black metal underground, with an ever growing catalogue of high quality records, memorable shows and uncompromising devotion to their craft. Their latest record, Das letzte Geleitdoes not diverge from this tradition, yet it stands out compared to Runenwacht’s previous works for a variety of reasons, the first and most obvious one being the album artwork, comprised of what I assume to be a romantic early 19th century painting, depicting, from my best understanding, a Valkyrie. The painting, rendered in soft blues and purples, with its almost whimsical atmosphere, may seem like a counterintuitive choice for such a record, but it is actually what caught my eye about it in the first place. And once you actually take the time to listen to Das letze Geleit, it becomes fairly clear why it was chosen, reasons that all have to do, obviously with the music itself.
Something eye, or better said ear catching that this record does, is that it plays really well into the more epic and melodic elements already present in the band’s music, but manages not to cross the border into “overdone territory”. It’s easy to get lost in the vibes when dealing with moodier, more atmospheric musical features, and thus the result is often much cheesier than initially intended. This all makes Runenwacht’s approach all the more successful, essentially emphasizing these elements in a way that is visible right from the artwork, without sacrificing their harshness or aggressive nature.
Obviously all that I have mentioned thus far is the result of excellent songwriting, and of course, this is the crowning jewel of Das letzte Geleit. The album is definitely on the long side, spanning close to a full hour, yet one doesn’t register the time passing while listening to it simply due to its capacity of keeping the listener hooked. The songs all showcase a great variety of techniques and pacing dynamics that manage to essentially keep you on your toes without feeling unnecessarily avant-garde or forced. Want a clear example? Look no further than “Die Erweckung des Niedhöggers”, an almost triumphant epic filled to the brim with excellent riffs, which, in my opinion, carry a nice old school touch to them, as well as a powerful vocal performance. Speaking of vocals, I feel like Runenwacht is not that well acknowledged in terms of vocal work, and yes, while the technique itself is fairly standard, the execution is top notch. Getting extreme vocals to sound expressive is a challenge itself, but vocalist Rex achieves it with what appears to be relative ease. The way he emphasizes the lyrics in the best moments definitely adds to the more melodic or emotionally charged moments of the album.
At this point it may sound like I am overstating it, but I am thoroughly taken aback by the guitar work on this album. It definitely reminds me of one of my favourite records of all time, Der Schwarze Hortby Totenwache, and that could be one of the reasons why, but at the same time it has so much personality in its own right that it feels wrong comparing to another record. The fact that the album is mostly mid tempo definitely allows it to take the spotlight more easily. That may be one of the reasons why I didn’t end up thinking “Where are the blast beats?” not even once. Simply put, Das letzte Geleitis proof that black metal doesn’t require minimum 80% blast beats to impress, as long as it has other elements to shine. The title track is probably the best iteration of this principle. Go see for yourself, you’ll end up agreeing.
I would like to end this review by saying that I have nothing but praise for this record, but it happens to be the type that is best experienced without a detail by detail description. I swear, having me describe every texture would ruin all the fun. Heck, I would advise first time listeners to check it out blindly, and read the reviews afterwards, for extra perspective, so to say. That being said, I leave you with this rather chaotic overview, and, of course, the intended encouragement to check out one of the great records of the year! 9.5/10
Band
Website
Deezer
Facebook
Instagram
Spotify
Tidal
YouTube
Label
Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Soundcloud
9.5/10 Epic Storm
**Please support the underground! It’s vital to the future of our genre**
#WeAreBlessedAltarZine
#TheZineSupportingTheUnderground
